Linux console

The Linux console is a <a href="/facts/System_console/FhWph34D">system console</a> internal to the <a href="/facts/Linux_kernel/dlkduHuA">Linux kernel</a>. A system console is the device which receives all kernel messages and warnings and which allows logins in single user mode. The Linux console provides a way for the kernel and other processes to send text output to the user, and to receive text input from the user. The user typically enters text with a <a href="/facts/Computer_keyboard/MczF9LIS">computer keyboard</a> and reads the output text on a <a href="/facts/Computer_monitor/NRaTDFHc">computer monitor</a>. The Linux kernel supports <a href="/facts/Virtual_console/xmjtDrut">virtual consoles</a> – consoles that are logically separate, but which access the same physical keyboard and display. The Linux console (and Linux virtual consoles) are implemented by the VT (virtual terminal) subsystem of the Linux kernel, and do not rely on any <a href="/facts/User_space/0yIzMY8t">user space</a> software. This is in contrast to a <a href="/facts/Terminal_emulator/yNfevBJd">terminal emulator</a>, which is a user space process that emulates a terminal, and is typically used in a graphical display environment.
The Linux console was one of the first features of the kernel and was originally written by <a href="/facts/Linus_Torvalds/EdDKP534">Linus Torvalds</a> in 1991 (see <a href="/facts/History_of_Linux/ULcAXP7R">history of Linux</a>). There are two main implementations: <a href="/facts/Linux_framebuffer/lB5KTlR8">framebuffer</a> and <a href="/facts/Text_mode/641fGn4S">text mode</a>. The framebuffer implementation is the default in modern <a href="/facts/Linux_distribution/0vVl4N4f">Linux distributions</a>, and together with <a href="/facts/Kernel_mode_setting/AjCBBvrU">kernel mode setting</a>, provides kernel-level support for display hardware and features such as showing graphics while the system is booting. The legacy text mode implementation was used in <a href="/facts/PC-compatible/zGUpl7Sh">PC-compatible</a> systems with <a href="/facts/Color_Graphics_Adapter/zcX23HQo">CGA</a>, <a href="/facts/Enhanced_Graphics_Adapter/VFU5QRyp">EGA</a>, <a href="/facts/IBM_Monochrome_Display_Adapter/oUM5MT24">MDA</a> and <a href="/facts/Video_Graphics_Array/8GGsGTSc">VGA</a> graphics cards. Non-<a href="/facts/X86/Kypq5fgu">x86</a> architectures used framebuffer mode because their graphics cards did not implement text mode. The Linux console uses fixed-size <a href="/facts/Bitmap_fonts/G8w72cFp">bitmap</a>, <a href="/facts/Monospace_font/or1TCAoh">monospace fonts</a>, usually defaulting to 8x16 pixels per character.
The Linux console is an optional kernel feature, and most <a href="/facts/Embedded_Linux/GPryGqLa">embedded Linux</a> systems do not enable it. These systems typically provide an alternative user interface (e.g. web based), or boot immediately into a <a href="/facts/Graphical_user_interface/wBlQFWDP">graphical user interface</a> and use this as the primary means of interacting with the user. Other implementations of the Linux console include the <a href="/facts/Braille/SKtJVCmc">Braille</a> console to support <a href="/facts/Refreshable_braille_display/7m6GKyF3">refreshable Braille displays</a> and the <a href="/facts/Serial_port/VpcrH530">serial port</a> console.

Linux console open-in-new

Linux console